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  <title>Chapter 18</title>
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            <h1 class="title">Chapter 18</h1>
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          <h2 class="subtitle">Belah</h2>
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      <p class="first first-in-chapter first-full-width"><span class="first-letter first-letter-b">B</span>elah avoided heading back to the club, even though the music called to her more strongly than before. The two saxophones sounded almost desperate now, the sexual energy in the club rising to a fever pitch in response to the sound. They called to her deliberately tonight, not the teasing seduction of Lukas’s music, or Iszak’s soulful lament she’d heard on the rooftop. They hadn’t known at the time what their music meant. Now they did. They called to her with a vengeance, and the sound intoxicated her, made her want to drown herself in it. Drown herself in them. She stood alone on the rooftop of one of the tallest buildings in the city, staring in their direction and fighting the urge to fly to them now.</p>
      <p class="subsq">Where they were right now wasn’t where she wanted to bare her soul to them. She turned, forcing herself to walk in the other direction, and launched herself off the edge. She let her human body plummet for several seconds, allowing her instincts take over and enjoying the rush of air over her skin as her conjured clothing dissolved and her dragon skin appeared. Just before she’d be too visible to deny, she extended her wings and soared high, shifting completely as she ascended, her talons skimming the glass of a skyscraper too quickly for anyone inside to realize what had just happened.</p>
      <p class="subsq">Once high above the city again, she headed away from the lure of Lukas and Iszak’s music, flying as quickly as she could, now that she didn’t have the added cloak of the two Shadows to help hide her.</p>
      <p class="subsq">Moments later, she landed on the roof where Iszak had made love to her only a few nights earlier. The bricks beside the stairwell were still cracked and damaged from where the brothers’ hurricane had tossed her into the wall. She felt no residual ache from the bruise she’d received, only a rising dread about what might happen when she told them the truth.</p>
      <p class="subsq">Shifting back to her human shape, Belah glanced around and found a pair of chairs with a small table between them. From the detritus strewn about, she picked up a crinkling bag filled with salty crumbs, then a half-empty bottle of liquor. She dropped the bag, but bent her head to the bottle. The deep blue glass carried a lingering scent of both men and the faint residue of their auras when they’d been drinking it—conflict and reconciliation clung to the dew-covered glass. They’d both drank from this bottle before coming to terms with her presence in their lives.</p>
      <p class="subsq">She sat in one of the chairs and stared down at the bottle. Answers had come for them from inside this blue vessel with the name of her favorite place emblazoned across its label. <i>Wild Blue Heaven,</i> it read. Perhaps answers would be revealed for her, as well. She stared up at the heavens and wished for an answer.</p>
      <p class="subsq">When nothing came from the hazy night above her, she opened the bottle and lifted it to her lips. When her tongue circled the rim, she could taste them both. Sweet Mother, she needed them. She needed them to believe her, to accept her, in spite of her past. When the burn of the liquor hit her tongue, she opened up and swallowed, drinking it down.</p>
      <p class="subsq">If it had worked for them, it might work for her. She took another deep swallow and closed her eyes, seeking any insight or inspiration that the liquor might carry with it.</p>
      <p class="subsq">When she heard the sounds of engines rumbling in the distance some time later, she stared down at an empty bottle and wondered where the hell all its contents had gone.</p>
      <p class="subsq">She stood up, frantic, her heart racing. The bottle clattered to the ground while she rushed to the door to the stairwell. The world swam and she fumbled for the door lever. She didn’t want to miss them … she’d planned to be front and center when they came home.</p>
      <p class="subsq">Their voices reached her, Lukas’s halfway through an irritated monologue when they became audible. Belah paused when she heard the words, “No sign of her at all. She’s done with us, brother. We fucked it up.”</p>
      <p class="subsq">She let go of the door handle and leaned against the cold metal. Lukas sounded so defeated she longed to comfort him.</p>
      <p class="subsq">“She was there. I fucking know it,” Iszak said. “At least I know there were dragons there. Did you see the level of humping on the dance floor tonight? That never happens unless a dragon’s hanging around. They’ve got magic mind shit going on. I don’t think tonight was random.”</p>
      <p class="subsq">She levered open the door and was about to slide into the stairwell when she heard a third voice.</p>
      <p class="subsq">“Doesn’t matter anyway. Davis wants us regularly for Tuesdays now.”</p>
      <p class="subsq">Ozzie’s voice made Belah pause. She couldn’t confront them with him in the way. It didn’t matter that she was intent on telling them the truth; his presence would muddy the waters.</p>
      <p class="subsq">She put her head in her hands and sank down onto the top step. This should’ve gone better.</p>
      <p class="subsq">The clank of the door closing behind her made her jerk to attention. She hurriedly exhaled a deep breath of magic, desperate to reach their minds and control their reactions, but she was too late.</p>
      <p class="subsq">“Is someone on your roof, guys?” Ozzie asked.</p>
      <p class="subsq">The other two minds in question instantly found her, somehow. She sensed their awareness of her as a breeze blew past. A breeze that shouldn’t have existed in the closed stairwell she was hiding in.</p>
      <p class="subsq">“Ozzie, no offense, but you’re out. Don’t fucking call for at least three days.”</p>
      <p class="subsq">“She came here? It worked after all, didn’t it? She’s here, isn’t she?” Ozzie asked. “Fuck, you guys. Fine … I want to meet her, when you come up for air. I’ve always wanted a dragon mate. I want to know what she looks like, at least.”</p>
      <p class="subsq">“She looks like a dragon,” Lukas said. “That’s all you need to know.”</p>
      <p class="subsq">“What color? Please tell me that, at least.”</p>
      <p class="subsq">Iszak’s gruff voice spoke next. “She’s a Blue you fuck, now fucking <i>disappear</i>.”</p>
      <p class="subsq">Belah held her breath as she heard Ozzie muttering his way back down the stairs to the garage and then out into the alley. A moment later, a bike engine revved and she heard him speed off.</p>
      <p class="subsq">She relaxed, but it only lasted for a second before she heard the stairwell door opening below her and light streamed in. Her eyesight wavered when Iszak found her.</p>
      <p class="subsq">He bent down and his face filled her vision. She blinked, trying to focus on his features, but just smiled. He was beautiful. She reached a hand up to his cheek and enjoyed the tickle of his stubble against her palm. She wanted to tell him how lovely he was, but her tongue didn’t want to work.</p>
      <p class="subsq">Iszak chuckled. “I’d say she found our bottle from the other night. Who knew pretty Blue dragons were such lightweights when it came to turul liquor. That bottle wasn’t filled with human spirits, baby. I don’t know what you expected, but us higher races need a magic bump to get drunk. You got more than you were ready for … I guess newly ascended dragons have no tolerance.”</p>
      <p class="subsq">He slid his arms beneath her and lifted her up, cradling her against his chest. Pressing his lips to her temple, he whispered, “Sweetness, you have no idea how much it means to us that you came back.”</p>
      <p class="subsq">“You’re gonna hate me,” she slurred, finally remembering her mission and forcing herself to speak. She shook her head. Turul liquor … she should’ve known better.</p>
      <p class="subsq">“Never gonna happen,” Iszak said as he carried her down the stairs.</p>
      <p class="subsq">“Pretty sure it’ll happen after I say this.”</p>
      <p class="subsq">He set her down on a smooth, cushioned surface, and she dug her nails into the leather of their sofa, wishing the world would stop spinning.</p>
      <p class="subsq">Two faces lowered into her frame of view as they crouched before her, and she took a breath. Sweet Mother, they were both beautiful men. Men she loved already, thanks to Fate. There was no going back now, either, because she was <i>theirs</i> as much as they were hers.</p>
      <p class="subsq">“We’re bound, the three of us,” she said, speaking slowly to enunciate over the thick sensation in her mouth. Her tongue was still doing its best to play dead.</p>
      <p class="subsq">“We are, at that,” Iszak said, his dark eyes looking at her expectantly. “Something wrong, baby? Just tell us, please. We’re in this together. All three of us.” He shot a look at his brother and Lukas nodded, squeezing her knee.</p>
      <p class="subsq">“I’m the Beast,” she blurted before she could lose her resolve. “I’m the fucking Beast. The thing you guys hate … remember that? The Council bitch who ruined everything. You’re supposed to hate me, but here I am, the girl who answered your call. Sooo, hate me all you want, because I love you. I love you because I can’t <i>not</i> love you. But I don’t give a fuck what Fate wants. I’d love you both, anyway. I’ll love you both even if you decide you don’t love me.”</p>
      <p class="subsq">She should’ve felt more anxiety or dread or something from the revelation, but the world was starting to darken around the edges. Through the darkening haze, she remembered there was something else she was supposed to say. What was it? Something important.</p>
      <p class="subsq">Her eyelids didn’t want to stay open any longer. The cushion of the sofa suddenly rose up to her cheek and she pressed against it, sighing into the cool leather. Sleep was important. She’d told them the truth and the world hadn’t ended. She could take a break from worrying now. Oblivion called to her and she went, surrendering to the familiar darkness.</p>
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